Recital of Chopin: The Nocturnes by Fionnuala Moynihan

What to Expect

Irish concert pianist Dr Fionnuala Moynihan presents a full recital built around Chopin’s Nocturnes, tracing the form from its familiar favourites through to lesser-performed pieces. The programme sets out how Chopin developed the nocturne, partly under the influence of Irish composer John Field, and promises what the venue describes as hauntingly beautiful music with soaring melodic lines and passages of virtuosity. It is a seated, listening concert rather than a background performance, held in one of King House’s period rooms, and suits anyone with an interest in classical piano or the John Field connection to Irish music history.

The John Field angle gives the evening a genuinely Irish thread despite the programme being built around a Polish composer: Field, born in Dublin in 1782, is widely credited as the originator of the nocturne form that Chopin later made famous, and Moynihan’s recital is framed around tracing that lineage rather than simply running through a greatest-hits set. Expect commentary between pieces alongside the performance itself, in keeping with how King House has programmed its classical recitals in the past.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Saturday 17 October 2026 at 7:30pm.
• Venue and town: King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon.
• Price: €20 standard, €18 concession, booking through King House’s Ticketsolve page.
• This is a one-off recital, so book ahead rather than relying on walk-up tickets given the room’s limited seating.
• Runs on the same evening slot as King House’s autumn arts programme, so check for any pre-concert introduction or talk added closer to the date.
• Suits a quieter, seated audience rather than a standing crowd, so plan accordingly if bringing children.

Getting There

King House is on the Crescent in Boyle town centre, within walking distance of Main Street, the bus stop and the train station, with parking on site for evening events. Boyle sits on the N4, about 20 minutes from Roscommon town and Carrick-on-Shannon, and is also served by the Dublin to Sligo rail line.